Moonrise Kingdom
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: A semi-charmed love story between Max and Nikki...and their attempts to cover up their relationship that go as well you'd expect.
1. Chapter 1

Max sat by himself on the pier, watching as Lake Lilac began to settle in for the night. Speaking of which, this was the reason he was out _here_ instead of in _there_ in the Mess Hall. Tonight was the night the Lake Lilac Summer Social was being held, an annual lake-wide dance where all members of the camp surrounding the titular lake got together and basically hung out when they weren't at each other's throats. This was why Max opted to duck out when he got the chance to, which was luckily due to David and Gwen (but mostly David) worrying about making this particular party a perfect one. He wasn't necessarily fond of social gatherings like these (they were worse than even cult functions), the reason being as an attempt to keep his front as the cynical of the campers. A hint of idealism began to seep through the more and more he hung out with them, particularly his two best friends the moment they arrived at the hellhole. Neil, while annoying and usually sadistic, was technically the brother he never had. Nikki, meanwhile, was basically a big ball of sunshine with a sparkle of magically delicious rainbows.

When Max thought of Nikki, he thought of _that_ day. Specifically, the day where the campers were paired together in an activity that involved channeling their inner parenting skills to take care of their eggs. Him being paired with her was a perfect example of the "opposites attract" cliché. As she opted to love and take care of the egg, he opted to neglect and set aside said egg, even suggesting to leave it in a box and let strangers take care of it. He admitted to her in secret that he didn't mean it, but rather he just vented at just the wrong moment; he went on to say that he enjoyed that particular Saturday and only criticized it in his façade. He would never forget that day...

…and neither would Nikki.

"Hey, Max."

Max yelped and jumped a few inches before turning to face Nikki herself. He was currently thanking God that it was nighttime, for she couldn't see the impending blush that colored his face.

"Oh, uh... Hey, Nikki. I thought you were gonna have the mess hall swarming with bees."

"Oh, yeah, I was, but...it wouldn't be much fun without you."

 _Well, shit._ Max thought to himself as his blush became heavier. Nikki approached her friend with curiosity lacing her facial features.

"So what you are doing out here by yourself?"

"Besides ridding my sweat of the excess sweat of hormonal preteens because of this stupid dance?" Max joked before donning a more solemn expression, "I'm just...reminiscing."

"About what?"

"About...what happened this summer."

"Mind if I join you?"

Max faced Nikki again, this time with a look of bewilderment before relenting upon noticing that she was wondering if she had done something wrong. "Sure. Go on ahead." Taking her place beside him, they both watched the silent serenity of Lake Lilac for a few blissful moments until she got the nerve to continue the conversation, albeit with sincerity.

"So...what were you reminiscing about?"

"Oh, well...a lot of things, I guess. But definitely not that time when we were forced to take care of their stupid egg." Max made the mistake of pointing out a suspiciously specific detail located in his aforementioned reminiscing, which made Nikki see right through his little lie. It didn't anger her as much as it amused her, seeing as she giggled as the memory of that particular day came rushing back to her full force.

"Max, are you still mad about that day? Because if you are, I stole a gun from Mr. Campbell's vault that time those foreign exchange campers came to visit."

"No, I'm not mad, I'm just..." Max found it incredibly difficult to express his feelings to a mutual friend (let alone a crush), but soldiered on nonetheless. "It was one of the few times I was actually happy, despite my best interests."

At the mere mention of that, Nikki was suddenly all ears. She sat up straight and shifted closer to him. "Go on."

"Okay. I...had a rough childhood. Unlike you, who had a mom looking after you, I had nobody. No mom, no dad, no guardian. The closest I ever had to that last one was David and Gwen, and even they make mistakes from time to time. However...they were better than nothing. My actual parents saw an opportunity to lift a burden off their shoulders and they took it. They dumped me and ditched me at this camp when they got the chance. From that moment on...I guess it left an impact on my outlook on life."

He was met with silence not soon after and he turned to find her with watery eyes. "Uh, Nikki? You okay?"

She didn't say anything in response. Her actions spoke louder than her words, as you do. Case in point, she lunged at him with a hug in mind before engulfing him in it. He stumbled backwards but regain his footing long enough to process what was happening right now. "Whoa, Nikki! What's the big idea?"

"Max... I had no idea. I'm _so_ sorry."

With Nikki beginning to mutter relentless apologies, Max had to say anything to get the message through her. "H-Hey, Nikki... It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything, anyway."

"But I should've!" Nikki snapped before continuing to hug a continuing reassuring Max, "If I had known anything about your life until now... Wait, was this because I didn't see you on Parents' Day?"

Max internally cringed, realizing that he hadn't confided with Nikki the special Parents' Day that ended up with David and Gwen taking out for pizza. "Well... Technically, yes, and that's okay. I guess I've gotten used to it by now."

"Still though..."

"Shh, Nikki. It's _not_ your fault. Besides, if they hadn't sent me to this hellhole of a camp, I wouldn't have met you...and Neil."

Nikki pretended not to notice that little slip-up and broke away to face him eye-to-eye, "Really?"

Max cracked a small smile and nodded, "Really."

A soft silence (save for the faint rippling of the lake) followed, as both of them attempted to figure out what to do next. However, they knew one thing: their respective eyes looked nice. Suddenly, a particular memory of Nikki's mother expressing her love for her father came rushing back to her full force. Remembering exactly what she did, she tilted her head, closed her eyes, gently puckered her lips, and leaned slowly towards Max. The Indian boy himself was _greatly_ taken aback by his friend's sudden actions, but not enough to be horrified or disgusted by them. Case in point, the question he asked in subsequent action.

"Nikki, what the hell are you doing?"

"Uh..." Nikki began to blush and thank the heavens above that it was nighttime as well before scrambling for an explanation, "My mom did it with my dad?"

 _Oh, bless this adorably naïve girl..._ Max thought to himself. He shook his head while chuckling under his breath, much to the confusion of Nikki. "Are you trying to kiss me? Because if so, you're not doing it right."

"No, no! Max, I wasn't trying to... Wait, what?"

Max tilted Nikki's head in the opposite direction than before and placed a cool pair of lips onto her own. It seemed that all time had crawled to a stop as they both relaxed into the moment. As they closed their eyes and held each other's hands, they couldn't help but get the feeling that romantic music was left on in the background. A minute or so later, they both broke off the kiss and, opening their eyes, gazed into their respective partner's.

"Uh...sorry?"

Nikki only giggled in delight and placed a soft peck on Max's blushing cheek. "It's okay. _I'm_ okay. Are you?"

Max only flashed Nikki a rare genuine toothy grin, "Sure. For lack of a better word, I'm...okay. But I'm thinking we should keep this between us. Just in case."

"Got ya," Nikki winked in understanding, "I'm not like some people who kiss and tell. _People like Sasha..._ Thanks, Max."

Max returned the favor and kissed Nikki on the cheek just as she did to him before...before he realized something very important.

"Hey, shouldn't they crowning the King and Queen of the Summer Social by now?"

Nikki perked up with a gasp, "Oh! You're right! Let's go!"

Max watched as Nikki sped off before he chuckled, shook his head, and trailed behind after her.

* * *

The usual attitudes of Max and Nikki changed drastically, a few days having passed the Summer Social. They attempted to revert back to their usual behaviors, but everybody caught on quite quickly. However, they preferred keeping their opinions to themselves while discreetly investigating at the same time. True to their word, the two children in question kept the secret hidden from their fellow campers out of fear that they would be teased about it. Both of them waited until the following Friday at nighttime to talk about the incident.

When they met outside, they remained silent for the next few minutes. Neither knew what to say.

"So..."

"So..."

"What now?"

"What now, indeed? I don't know..."

"Well, for one thing, we can't keep avoiding this."

"Avoiding what? It was just a kiss. _One_ kiss, Nikki."

"One kiss that we both certainly enjoyed..."

"Which isn't the point."

"Then what is, Max?"

"I... I still don't know."

Max and Nikki then just sat there. Staring at the moonlight while thinking about what to say next.

"So..."

"So..."

"Did you enjoy the kiss?"

"... Yes. I was shocked at first, but it didn't take long for me to...enjoy it."

"Good."

"Why are you asking?"

"... Because I enjoyed it, too."

"I know, but _why_ are you asking?"

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure."

"Yeah, ok."

 _. . ._

"Do you want to do it again?"

" ** _NO!_** Uh, I mean... Sure?"

They both turned toward each other and waited until the sparks flew once again. Indeed, that familiar feeling began stirring around in their stomachs as they gazed longingly into one another's eyes. Struggling to get into the same position from last Friday night, the kids felt the feeling from before increased tenfold and knew exactly what was going to happen next. Hesitant to lean in a little more, they finally planted their lips together, shuddering at their sudden contact. They eventually eased into their embrace, tilting their heads in order to get settled in a more comfortable position and clasping their hands together to admire the other's smoothness.

After a few fleeting minutes, Max and Nikki separated and drew heavy gasps while gazing into each other's eyes. A brief exchange of laughter occurred before they sighed in content and glanced away in embarrassment.

"That was nice."

"Yeah. It was...something."

 _. . ._

"Do you want to do it again?"

" ** _YES!_** Uh, I mean... Sure?"

* * *

And so, against their better judgments, their make-out sessions continued every Friday night (as well as the occasional Saturday), with the rest of the interactions not pertaining on either days being limited to nothing more than causal small talk between best friends. Nevertheless, their recent changes in behavior was still a hot topic amongst the campers, home and away. Their patience wearing thin and their annoyance turning into that of anger, prompting them to take drastic measures to ensure nobody would find out their dirty little secret.

It worked...for the most part.

Ered was just residing in her tent, scrolling through her iPhone while reminiscing about a fond memory with her newfound friend as the star. After all, it was Nerris who pulled her out of her coolness funk. For that, she was in her debt. But anyway, she was watching her dads kick some serious ass when her eyes caught notice of what appeared to be the silhouettes of her fellow campers. It was specifically Max and Nikki, but she didn't want to assume. Her ears perked up when they latched on to something that resembled something secret and decided to follow them.

Following their voices until they reached the cliffside, Ered ducked behind a tree and watched the two talk discreetly under their breaths, ensuring their secret conversation would remain as such. After a few insatiable moments, the two of them eventually kissed once more, catching the adrenaline junkie off guard and leaving her jaw agape. She couldn't gasp in shock, though, as it would immediately give her location away. As much as this was a pure comedic gold mine, she couldn't help but smile in pride that the little shit found someone he could call his own...not counting Counselors David and Gwen.

Making sure her camera had her flash off, Ered took a couple of gossip-worthy photos before she turned tail to retreat. Silently heading back to her tent as quick as possible, she checked the pictures and smiled in satisfaction.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N** : __A guest reviewer commented that he or she was disturbed that the two main characters were still 10...but still wanted a second chapter anyway. Well, that's the point; it's about juvenile mental health, family break-up, child sexuality, and most importantly, young love, much like the titular 2012 film this story is based on. However, I try to be sincere about it and deliver the concept with subtlety. I apologize in advance if this doesn't necessarily pan out like it should._

 _Also, sorry if most of the characters are OOC here. **And** I don't own the following song. __**AND** the third chapter onwards will get...a little crazy. So..._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

Max and Nikki ran towards the forest the moment the campers dozed off. Taking their usual spot by the cliffside, they took their respective seats on a laid-out blanket and gazed up at the stars. So far so good, they managed to evade the campers and camp counselors, keeping their secret relationship as such. However, they had to take extensive measures and not grow overconfident in their success of not getting caught. In the meantime, though, they might as well indulge in their sweet time together. Case in point…

"Can you sing?"

Max frowned in confusion at Nikki's out-of-the-blue question. "Come again?"

"Can you sing?" Nikki repeated the question...before adding, "A song?"

"... Why?"

"No reason."

"If I say yes, are you going to ask me next to sing you something?"

"... Probably."

He thought it over for a moment before sighing in relent. Standing up and walking over to a tree hole, he pulled out a carefully wrapped guitar and walked back to their spot while Nikki looked on. "Then it's probably a good thing that I hid this."

"Is that David's...?"

"Oh, yeah. I _definitely_ wouldn't want to wake up to him singing the incredibly long-and-catchy theme song."

"Pfft. I would."

"... Right. Of course you would."

Carefully unwrapping the guitar, Max set the wrapping paper aside, pulled a pile of more paper, and made the correct chord shapes as he played what was scribed on said paper:

 ** _I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me_**  
 ** _And if we go someplace to dance I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me_**

 _Max nudged Nikki to join along, and join along she did._

 ** _Then afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two_**  
 ** _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you..."_**

 _The both of them harmonized with each other as they got into the groove._

 ** _I can see it in your eyes you still despise the same old lies you heard the night before_**  
 ** _And though it's just a line to you for me it's true and never seemed so right before_**

 ** _I practice every day to find some clever lines to say to make the meaning come true_**  
 ** _But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late and I'm alone with you_**

 ** _The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and oh the night's so blue_**  
 ** _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you..."_**

 _All of a sudden, as if someone left the background music on, something of a full-fledged orchestra joined along with Max and Nikki. Both glanced at each other in confusion before simultaneously shrugging it off and continuing on._

 ** _I practice every day to find some clever lines to say to make the meaning come true_**  
 ** _But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late and I'm alone with you_**

 ** _The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and oh the night's so blue_**  
 ** _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you..."_**

 ** _I love you_**  
 ** _I love you  
I love you  
I...love...you...  
_**

 _Max and Nikki gazed into each other's eyes as they gave a softer kiss than the ones from before. This one was more of a light peck which lasted a split second or so, but much longer than it took for David to wake up and investigate the noise from outside._

 _. . ._

 _Wait, what?_

 ** _"Hello, is anybody out here?"_**

Of course, there was always that one time where they didn't exactly adhere to that one rule of not getting caught. Case in point...

The both of them gasped in shock before turning to find a silhouette of David emerging from the cabin. Moving quickly, they removed any evidence of their little encounter tonight and sped off before their happy-go-lucky camp counselor stumbled upon their spot. Hiding behind the trees and quietly navigating their way through them back to their respective tents, they waited until the coast was clear to talk one more conversation before their already broken curfew ended.

"God, that was close. Sorry about that, Nikki."

"No, it's okay. I...actually enjoyed the song."

"It's not actually mine."

"... Yeah, I figured. Gosh, we need to be more careful when we sneak out like this."

"I couldn't agree more. So... I'll see you next Friday? Or any other time we get another chance at seeing each other again?"

"Sure, Max."

Both planted one more kiss on each other's cheeks before going their separate ways.

* * *

The next Friday, Max and Nikki respectively woke up more sweatier than usual. Groggily getting out of bed and placing their hands on their sticky skin, they met up with the other campers (who were none worse for wear) just as David and Gwen exited the counselor's cabin carrying a very big fan.

"It was _cold_ one night, now it's _hot_ the next day."

"I blame global warming."

"Okay, kids," David panted as he set down the fan with Gwen, who opened the instruction book for it, "Since the monthly 100° heat wave is back with a vengeance, Gwen and I decided to let you swim in the lake while we work on the fan and eventually...order ice cream."

The campers cheered in approval as they went off to change into their swimsuits and prepare for a cool dip in the pond. Max and Nikki, on the other hand, halfheartedly dreaded the news. Neither one of them had seen the other in a swimsuit before, and were generally ill-prepared to do so. Although, the former actually had limited experience in terms of nudity, given that he "accidentally" stumbled upon his parents in the aftermath of smoking-hot...intercourse. He shuddered at the traumatizing memory, recalling every second of it with disastrous results on his mental psyche. Then he remembered Nikki, the completely naïve and innocent cinnamon roll that just so happened to be his unofficial girlfriend.

Nikki herself couldn't care less. She was just happy to cool off for once.

While the rest of the campers stripped down to nothing but their swimsuits, Max struggled to do the same. He was clearly hesitant to what was essentially get naked, even if your private parts were covered by swim trunks, bikinis, and anything else in-between. Little did he know, Nikki was sharing the same dilemma in spite of her enthusiasm. Eventually, after a few moments of mental doubts, beat-'em-ups, they both exited their respective tents wearing their respective swimsuits. Max was wearing a pair of plain navy blue swim trunks along with his red shoes. Nikki was wearing a rose red fixed triangle wireless but padded bikini top and skirted bottom along with her turquoise shoes, the sight of which made his heart race and his body stiffen. He was quite used to seeing her in only the mustard yellow shirt beneath the ruby red overalls rolled up to her knees and nothing more. Still, it was a lovely view. _Ugh, curse my dirty, cynical mind..._

"Hey, Nikki."

"Hi, Max."

"Ready to swim?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Hell, no."

Nikki giggled as she and Max walked side-by-side to meet up with the campers, who had already got a head start. David and Gwen had placed the fan to where they (and the rest of them) could feel the breeze while waiting on the ice cream. On the way towards the pier, the two broke away and headed toward their usual spot by the cliffside, giggling madly like the little kids they still are.

"What are we doing now, Max?"

"A bad idea, that's what."

They stopped and stood there for a moment's notice, overlooking what was to them a view to a kill. Glancing at each other before down at the lake, they continued doing this for another moment before Nikki broke Max's silence.

"So... We're jumping off this cliff?"

"Yep."

"Without adult supervision?"

"Yep."

"And we're going to look cool while doing it?"

"Hell, yes."

 _. . ._

"Are we going to _get hurt_ while doing it?"

"Hells, yes."

 _. . ._

"Count me in."

"I was hoping you would say that."

A few steps backward were taken before the couple ran and jumped off the cliff hand-in-hand. Whooping all the way down caught the attention of many a Camp Campbell camper and the two weary counselors, who stood up and gaped in shock as their hearts immediately stopped. Their fear ultimately subsided into that of comfort upon seeing them take the correct diving position, much to their surprise and subsequent delight. _Still though..._

They eventually resurfaced and whooped some more, jumping in momentary fright as the rest of the campers joined them. Swimming towards the unbeknownst-to-them loving couple, they congratulated them and tried their best to give them some space, considering they had just jumped off a 15-story cliff. David and Gwen helped them out as the ice cream truck finally arrived.

"You two..." Gwen shook her head as she chuckled, "...are crazy. _So_ crazy."

"Well, it's our expertise," Max shrugged as Nikki lightly giggled again behind him. That's when David noticed something happening between them, if only for a brief moment. It was as if...a spark had been ignited. He knew better than to get involved in the campers' business, so he decided to wait until later and ask Max what exactly was happening between him and Nikki. Of course, his mind trailed off to more urgent matters when he glanced over to Gwen...and the campers. And the ice cream man.

Later that night, Max and Nikki snuck out again to the cliffside, this time donning their previously dry swimsuits beneath their signature clothing. Again giggling madly like the two little kids they were, they slowed down to a stop and glanced down again.

"It feels a lot more taller than before."

"Sometimes, the darkness does wonders for you."

"I sure hope so."

Max and Nikki then stripped to their swimsuits again, their giggles increasing tenfold. Jumping off the cliffside again while whooping quietly again, it was during this time that Ered snuck out _again_ for a hefty dose of gossipy blackmail. So imagine her surprise when she found a pair of kids swimming in the dark of the night without the counselors' knowledge. Her caution had to dialed up to eleven when recording the lovey-dovey couple, which involving literally hanging by a thread that was a poorly-grown branch.

 ** _CLICK..._**

Ered silently gasped at the sound of...whatever _that_ was, the moment the branch snapped and removing her only method of support. After a tense moment of daring to lose her balance, she quickly regained it and sped back to her cabin. This time, it was Gwen in place of David, who heard a large splash from the lake right in the middle of watching trash TV. With just her luck, she hoped it was another sea creature from the black lagoon...and not a sexy human in disguise. Armed with a baseball bat and flashlight, she carefully observed her surroundings lest something attack her out of thin air. Approaching the cliffside, she slowly glanced down and found...nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The moment Gwen headed back was the moment Max and Nikki released deep breaths held behind their hand-clamped mouths.

"God, that was close."

"Yeah. We _really_ need to be careful when we sneak out like this."

Carefully navigating their way to the showers, the couple took a couple of respective quick ones before retreating back to their respective tents.

"So...next Friday?"

"Sure."

And so, entering their respective tents, both children slipped into the warm comfort of their bed and closed their eyes...

Waiting for the next Friday to arrive...

Patiently waiting...

* * *

 _ **A/N** : Call it filler, call it foreshadowing, call it a blend of both. Even so, I will say this again: I do not own the song " **Somethin' Stupid** "; **Carson and Gaile** do!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_"The Wood Scouts are here!"_**

This was the first thing Max heard when he woke up at two in the morning. At first, he thought he needed some coffee to drain out any of David's ( _not_ Nikki's) hyperactive antics. But true to her every word, the dreaded elite scouting organization had indeed infiltrated Camp Campbell with very little difficulty. Of course, they actually managed to snag a few recruits in the time he was here, but it shouldn't surprise him as much as it did now.

Upon spotting Petrol stomping towards him with his hands out, he immediately grimaced and hurled his still hot coffee cup at him, causing it to shatter and splatter all over his face; he screamed and ran in the other direction just as Max did the same, but not before grabbing Mr. Honeynuts and a switchblade from his tent. Sprinting into the forest, he noticed all the frightened expressions of the awakening campers, who ran amok in an effort to evade their pursuers. Ducking behind a bushel of bushes, he watched as many of them were captured one by one. From Space Kid to Dolph to...Nikki, they were gagged and restrained as they were carried away from Camp Campbell, protesting loudly through their muzzles. All the while, he could only watch in terrified shock as Nikki (the closest to escaping) was unexpectedly knocked out by Pikeman.

He made a mental promise to make him pay for what he did to her.

After making certain that the Wood Scouts were gone, Max stood up from his hiding place and glanced around with his self-defense weapon at the ready. Breathing heavily, he continuously spun around as he checked his surroundings for any stragglers before relaxing and his deep breaths slowed down. Tucking away his security blanket and knife, he walked around just as Ered and Harrison popping out of their respective hiding places. For he was too focused on the spot where Nikki was bludgeoned into unconsciousness by the Wood Scout leader, he paid them no attention as his hands balled into fists.

 _"They took Nikki..."_

The remaining campers exchanged concerned expressions before watching Max marching to the counselor's cabin and knocking on the door with little-to-no patience. When he received something along the lines of _"Go away! It's two in the morning!"_ , that patience was instantly diminished with ease. Case in point, he swiftly kicked down the door off its hinges, sending it crashing down onto the wooden floor and the counselors scrambling up from their beds.

"Max?! What are you doing? It's far too early to be waking up and waking _us_ up!"

"Too early even for you?"

"David, Gwen! Please shut the fuck and listen to me! The Wood Scouts invaded Camp Campbell and kidnapped nearly all of the campers!"

That statement got the both of them ready and alert, "What? How do we know...?"

"It's true!" Harrison stepped forward and explained. "They got Nerris, Nikki, Neil, Nurf, Dolph, Preston, and Space Kid!"

David and Gwen exchanged nervous glances.

"This isn't good. We have to contact their respective families."

"David, if we do contact the kids' parents, they're not gonna let them stay here anymore."

"But if we don't, we could risk facing criminal charges on accounts of kidnapping!"

"David, Gwen!" Harrison spoke up, "You both are gonna face them anyway, considering that we were your responsibility to begin with!"

"Not to mention that my parents are most likely to start an investigation!" Ered crossed her arms, "And they'll probably take me away!"

 ** _"WILL EVERYONE PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"_**

Everybody turned to an exasperated Max now, who was currently taking deep breaths and threatening to pull his hair out. Once he calmed down enough to regain his posture, he headed outside for some much-needed privacy, the left hand fiddled with the switchblade in his pocket.

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

Then he remembered something. Rushing toward Nikki's tent, he rummaged through the place in search of the gun stolen from Campbell. It took a few minutes or so, but he finally found it. Held inside a locked box for which the key was located nearby, he unlocked and opened it, looking inside to confirm what Nikki had claimed was true. Indeed, the gun in question was laid inside: untouched, unloaded, and unfired. It had raised adjustable sights, beaver tail grip safety, a combat hammer, extended ambidextrous slide stop safety, extended slide release, beveled magazine well, stainless barrel, and long type combat trigger. Judging by reading the slide, the identity of the pistol was a "Colt MK IV Series 80".

Max had never seen a gun up close before, let alone _hold_ one up close before. However, he did know it worked to an extent: you load the ammunition, you pull the trigger, and you fire the gun. Plus, the three basic rules of firearm safety were etched into his mind: keep your finger off the trigger unless you were ready to fire, treat any gun as loaded (empty or not), and always point said gun in a safe direction at all times. Of course, there was the matter of proper ammunition, trigger safety, and gun modifying among other things. _There was plenty of time to learn all that later,_ Max thought. _Right now, I have to save Nikki...and the rest of the campers._ Glancing back inside the box to find eleven(!?) cartridges and a concealed carry handgun holster, he took up said box and brought it over to his tent for more practice.

Afterwards, exiting his tent with his newly holstered handgun, Max came upon the garden of previously fired arrows sprinkled all over the grass. Spotting a particularly absurdly long arrow with a slip of paper wrapped around the shaft, he plucked it from the ground and unrolled said paper for him to read. His gradually diminished anger returned full force as his tightening hands threatened to tear up the paper. Marching over to the counselor's cabin, he noticed David and Gwen waiting by the phones while Ered and Harrison popped up from their respective hiding places behind the two recliners.

"Max!" The latter hopped over his recliner first, "We thought you were captured next!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Max waved off his concerns before turning towards David. "Did they call back?"

"The Wood Scouts or the parents?"

"... Both, though I doubt the Wood Scouts have a phone to begin with."

It was Gwen who answered for him. "Well, their parents should be arriving in a few hours or so."

"Not soon enough," Max bitterly muttered under his breath. He sulked over to David's recliner and took a seat while sighing. He pulled out his phone and positioned himself to where nobody but him could face the screen. Secretly scrolling through the pictures of the campers (well, specifically the ones with just him and Nikki in them), he solemnly frowned in fear and disdain. _What if...?_ _What if we're too late? What if the Wood Scouts go too far? What if they hurt Nikki out of spite? What if...?_ Rubbing his forehead in alarming frustration, Max flinched as Harrison patted him on the shoulder and shot him a dirty look.

"It's okay, Max. We'll get them back...eventually."

He could only grunt in feigned disinterest as he continued to scroll through his pictures...while simultaneously forming a plan in that little mind of his.

* * *

 _"Hello, Camp Campbell campers! I'm not going to sugarcoat my intentions, so I will be blunt. I have no further need for the ones I have captured, but Maxwell on the other hand will make a fine recruit. Send him here, and we'll trade you your dear campers unscathed by nightfall."_

Later that afternoon, each of the parents arrived at Camp Campbell in a frenzied state. Most of them demanded answers that revolved around their children's whereabouts, with David and Gwen pleading all of them to calm down while they attempted to explain the situation as rationally as possible. When they received the message from the Wood Scouts, they seemed to hesitant in handing Max over, but also equally anxious over the conditions of their kids. Harrison wasn't paying much attention, and neither were his parents. Instead, he was focused on Max's tent, as the owner didn't seem to come out since this early morning. His concern matching his curiosity, the stage magician approached and entered to find...Max himself holding a gun towards his temple.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Reluctance took him for a moment's notice before he continued packing up the remaining necessities required for his rescue mission. He then spat out, "I'm going to save them."

 _. . ._

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"With just _that_?"

"No, I have plenty more."

"But why?"

"I got them at a good price."

"No, I mean... Why would you of all people try to save them?"

 _. . ._

"Because we were all friends."

"Really?"

"Don't tell anybody, will ya?"

"On one condition. I'm coming with you."

"Why? So you can go save your girlfriend?"

"What the...? Nerris isn't my girlfriend!"

"Believe me, you two have been arguing like an old married couple more than usual, so that's grounds for people assuming the worst."

"Oh, really? So my situation with Nerris is exactly like yours and Nikki's?"

 _. . ._

"Uh...Nikki's different."

"I seriously doubt it."

Max and Harrison turned to find Ered's shadow outside the tent. She opened it.

"What's up, pair of skinny jeans?"

"Ered, what are you doing here?"

"Duh. I wanna help you both save your girlfriends from the Wood Scouts."

 _"She's not my girlfriend!"_

Ered barely flinched at the both of them yelling at her in unison, instead merely rolling her eyes in bemusement. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Max stepped forward, "Wait, why do _you_ want to help _us_...specifically **_me_**?"

"Why not? I'm pretty sure the only three people in this tent at the moment are the only three people who know about your little puppy love romance with Nikki...or whatever the hell you two call it."

"Our relationship and whatever we decide to call it is none of your damn business," the Indian boy sneered as he crossed his arms, "I'm going to ask you again: why do _you_ want to help _us_ , specifically **_me_** , save Nikki...and the other campers?"

"And I'm going to answer you again," Ered mimicked him in succession, "Why not? I probably shouldn't admit it, but Nikki's like a little sister to me. She really cares about you...like a lot. And if _you're_ happy, then _she's_ happy, and that means _I'm_ happy."

"So...I'm guessing the same goes for Nerris, too?" Harrison twiddled his fingers.

"That, and I owe her a favor."

Max thought it over before sighing in relent. "Well...what do we have to lose?"

Ered glanced down at the handgun in Max's possession. "A bunch, actually. While I appreciate your spirit and determination, your lack of a plan may end up costing up. Plus, you and the Wood Scouts are just kids, so any chances of a traumatizing event hitting you hard in the guts are _very_ high."

"Wow," Max was clearly taken aback, "And here I thought you were just another adrenaline junkie."

"Believe me, living with two fathers who are FBI agents will do just that. Also...is that a Colt .45?"

As he nodded, she voiced her approval, "Hmm. You can shoot accurately even if you're a new learner because of the single-action trigger, but I still recommend target practice first."

"It's not even mine. It's Nikki's, who stole it from Campbell."

"Even better."

"I think I have an idea."

Max and Ered turned towards a visibly nervous Harrison. He was biting on thin air now before taking deep breaths. The both of them exchanging uncertain glances, the former approached the magician as the latter followed behind.

"You do?"

"But you're not gonna like it."

* * *

A few hours later into the evening, Max and Harrison emerged from the tent donning a tan, button-up, long-sleeved shirt, with a green sash and matching shorts, along with a brown belt. He (Max) tugged at the collar and groaned in disgust at the prospect of him wearing a variant of the Wood Scouts uniform while he (Harrison) looked on. Ered stood there fashioning a white long-sleeve shirt with a pink sash with fake (yet _incredibly_ accurate) badges and a pink flannel skirt that was recognized at the Flower Scouts outfit.

"I feel naked."

"Relax, dude," Ered handed him back his Colt M1911 and holster, "You'll be fine. Plus, at least you don't have to wear the Flower Scouts outfit."

"Pfft. You don't know that."

"She has a point, Max..." Harrison shrugged before adding, "...even if that comment was uncalled for."

"So where is this boat of yours?"

" _Yacht._ And it's this way."

The trio headed over to said yacht and took a moment or so to examine. Its primary color palette was a combination of purple, maroon, blue, and yellow. An odd one to say the least, but Max understood: it was an tribute from her fathers to their daughter.

"Hop on."

They jumped aboard, and Ered instantly started the boat and sped off to the Wood Scouts campsite. Max looked on ahead as he repeated in his head: _Hang on, Nikki. We're coming..._

* * *

Gwen rushed into the Mess Hall in a frenzied state of terror just as David was devising a plan to rescue the children.

"Gwen, what's the–?"

"David, it's Max! He's gone!"

Up in arms, David snatched the letter from Gwen's possession and read it ever-so thoroughly. When he finished, uncharacteristic for him, his fists clenched up in unbrided rage.


End file.
